Govt Announces Support For Children Who Lost Parents to Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes, and shaken everyday lives all around the world. In these troubling times, some people are bearing the brunt of losing a loved one. Leaders all around the world are formulating measures to provide relief to their citizens. To extend help to the children orphaned due to the pandemic, PM Narendra Modi declared the ‘PM CARES-for Children’ scheme. Read this blog to know more about the announcement. 

Supporting our nation’s future!

Several children lost their parents due to COVID-19. The Government will care for these children, ensure a life of dignity & opportunity for them. PM-CARES for Children will ensure education & other assistance to children. https://t.co/V3LsG3wcus

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 29, 2021

Announcement of PM-CARES for Children

On May 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that all the children who have lost both parents, surviving parents, legal guardians or adoptive parents to the coronavirus would receive support under the ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme. This announcement was made on the eve of the Central government’s second anniversary in the second term.

The Prime Minister emphasised that children are the country’s future, and the government will take all possible measures to support and protect them, to emerge as promising citizens of the country. The PM-Cared for Children scheme shall provide long-term financial, educational and medical assistance to the beneficiaries. The components of the scheme are discussed further in this blog. 

Financial Assistance Under PM-CARES For Children

The office of the Prime Minister stated that the ‘PM CARES for Children’, through a designed scheme, will:

• Create a corpus of ₹10 lakh for each child when the child turns 18 years old.
• This ₹10 lakh corpus will be utilised to give monthly financial support from 18-23 years for the child’s personal requirements during higher education.
• The corpus amount received at the age of 23 will be a lump sum amount for personal and professional use.

This component of the measure is for the long-term financial assistance of the children till the age they have completed schooling and can make higher education decisions for themselves.

School Education Support

For children who have lost their parents, continuing their schooling can be a struggle.  To facilitate the education of the orphans, the ‘PM Cares for Children’ announced multiple school education support initiatives segregated according to the age groups:

For Children under 10 Years

• The child will be granted admission to the closest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private institution as a day student. 
• If the child is enrolled in a private school, the fees will be supported by the PM CARES, as per the Right to Education norms.

For Children between 11-18 Years

• The child will be granted admission to any Central Government residential school like Sainik School, etc.
• If the guardian, grandparents or extended family members support the child, then the child will be enrolled in the closest Kendriya Vidyalaya or a private institution as a day student.

Higher Education

The ‘PM Cares for Children’ includes various financial assistance measures to support higher education. These measures shall ensure that these children can embark on the educational path, have access to opportunities and develop as learned individuals. 

• For higher education, The child will be supported in acquiring an education loan for professional courses or Higher Education in India as per the existing Education Loan norms. PM Cares will pay the loan interest.
• Alternatively, scholarships equal to the tuition fees or the program fees for undergraduate/vocational courses will be presented to such children under Central or State Government Schemes.
• Children who are not qualified under the existing scholarship schemes will get an equivalent scholarship from PM-CARES. 

Health Insurance

Another important announcement was made to integrate the support measure undertaken by the ‘PM Cares for Children’ scheme along with the ‘Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-Jay) for these orphaned children.

• Children will be registered as beneficiaries under the ‘Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY)’ with a health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh.
• PM CARES will pay the premium expense for the children till they turn 18 years old. 

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After as many as 577 children across the country have lost their parents to the COVID-19, the PM Cares for Children announcement is focused on preventing the deprivation of opportunities for these children and providing security for the bright futures of these young minds. Stay tuned to Leverage Edu for more recent updates and happenings around the world!